Railway draft device



June 11, 1935. E. B. SCHROCK RAILWAY DRAFT DEVICE f Filed Jui 9, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l JEA H gwvemkw E5 flcizrock I June 11, 1935. v E. B. scHRocK RAILWAY DRAFT DEVICE Filed July 9, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 7 i. 5- fldrock June 1-1, 1935. E. B. SCHROCK RAILWAY DRAFT DEVICE Filed Jul 9, 1931 a Sheets-Sheet 3 "/////Amn .m W/Vfl? a 7 M /2 B. 8 u 5 w m 2 d 2 w \\\G 4 W W, H

Patented June 11, 1935 RAILWAY DRAFT DEVICE Eugene B. Schrock, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company,1Columbus, Ohio Application July 9, 1931, "Serial No. 549,755

2 Claims. (01. 213-60) This invention relates to improvements in railway draft devices, and more especially to a novel 1 striker casting to beemployed with a swivel coupier and yoke.

Where 'a striker consists of 'a one-piece endto detach the coupler from the yoke without re- H vThe primary purpose of the H tion of l elements involving the coupler shank,

yoke and striker, and in which the striker is of such construction as to permit insertion. or removal of'the rear end portion of the coupler shank through the front aperture of the striker without removing the yoke.

With the foregoing objects outlined andwith, other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in de tail, illustrated in, the accompanying; drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. M

In the drawings,

section, of the improved combination. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical-sectional view 'of the improved striker casting. a

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view partly in horizontal section, of the striker casting. q i

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation partly in verticalyseotion, of portions of the yoke, coupler shank andstriker casting and illustrating the manner of inserting or removing the coupler.

Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary views of portions of the striker castingand couplershank, and illustrating modified form of striker castings. Referring to the drawings, 9 designates the yoke which issupported in the usual manner between the center sills lli of the car by the conventional supporting iron H.

Forwardly projecting flanges l2 on the yoke cooperate with rearwardly projecting flanges I3 of the coupler shank l4, and these flanges are pivotally connectediby a pin l5. A horizontal key I6 passes through the rear end of the shank, the intermediate one of the flanges l2, and through a horizontal notch II.

in the pivot pin, and has its ends extending through'horizontal slots I8 in the striker casting l9, and the sills. less rectangular cast frame,'and a carrier iron for a coupler shank, it washeretofore impossible As thestriker casting is one of: the novel ele- NT OFFICE y ments of the new combination, it will be describedsomewhat in detail. It comprises an endless cast metal frame substantially C-shape consisting of atop member-Inside members 2! and a rearwardlyoifset inverted U-shaped bottom member 22, and as best shown in Fig. 3, the.

top memberhas a vertical striking Web and a lower rearwardly extending flange 29 ,0011- sisting of a front horizontal portion 23 and rear end portion. projecting upwardly and rearwardly, as indicated at 24.

From the side members 2 I, side walls 25 extend rearwardly and terminate in front draft lugs 25 vThese walls have the slots [8 for the horizontal key, and they merge at their upper ends into aroof 25.

Eachor" the side portions of thecasting is provided with an aperture 21 to receive the bolt 23 by which an inverted U-shaped shanksupporting wearpl'ate' 29 is secured to the strikeroasting. It will be noted that the lower edges 29 of the wear. plate cooperate with the narrow bottom member 22 for reinforcing the depending flanges of the'wear platef The striker castingis rein- Fig. 1 is a top planview partlyin horizontal 1 forced by suitable ribs and hasthe necessary apertures to receive the rivets employed in uniting the casting with adjacent elements of the car.

casting, if that castingis made in the usual way.

, In the conventional strikercasting, the flange correspondingwith my flange 'Zll ordinarily extends rearwardly and horizontally from the strikingface for the full width thereof. The distance of' this flange from the sill tie portion or 3 ment, while the rear portion 2 of the flange preferably extends diagonally upward and rearward from the horizontal portion for giving the necessary clearance for the shoulder 21 to allow for the insertion and withdrawal of the coupler stem, while the yoke is in place and resting on the supporting iron H. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, if the carrier iron 2% is detached and the shank is moved forwardly, and its front end is moved downwardly, the

' shoulder 2'! can clear the top of the striker, due

to the upturned construction 24 of the rear portion of the flange 2t and hence, a dis-connection or connection can be made without remova ing the yoke 9.

Instead of shaping the flange 20 as shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, it may be gently curved up-. wardly as shown at 24s in Fig. 7, or if desired, the flange may be straight, as illustrated at 24 in Fig. 8, and in that case, a bead 24 will depend from the wall 24 The bead 24, of course, is

at the desired distance above the coupler stem for holding it in proper position, while the flange extending rearwardly therefrom is sufficiently elevated to permit the application or withdrawal of the coupler in the desired manner.

It may be best seen from Fig. 6 that the distance between the front surface of the lug or shoulder Z'l and the rear end of the upper one of the flanges i3 is greater than the distance between the rear end of the portion 24 of the striker casting and the front end of the upper one of the flanges l2, and also that there is a slight clearance between the flanges l2 and $3 to permit the coupler shank M to be removed through the opening in the striker casting after the carrier iron 29 has been detached.

From the foregoing it will be understood that this invention eliminates a practical difficulty heretofore experienced in installing or removing the shank of a swivel coupling, and so far as I am aware, it has always been the practice in the past to detach the yoke in order to make it possible to remove the coupler shank of swivel couplings.

It is believed from my disclosure that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and it is manifest that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. In combination, a railway car having center sills, a swivel yoke positioned between said sills and having superposed forwardly projecting flanges, a carrier for the yoke connected to the sills, a striker casting arranged at one end of the sills and provided with an annular frame, a coupler shank extending through the frame and having rearwardly projecting flanges intercalated with said forwardly projecting flanges, the space between said forwardly projecting flanges being greater than the thickness of said rearwardly projecting flanges, means connecting the shank and yoke, a carrier iron detachably connected to the striker casting and normally supporting said shank in substantial alignment with the yoke, a shoulder projecting upwardly from said shank, the top portion of said frame having a rearwardly extending flange so arranged as to abut against said shoulder and prevent detachment of the shank from the yoke as long as the shank is in normal alignment with the yoke, the distance between the last mentioned flange and the front surface. of the upper one of the flanges of the yoke being less than the distance between the front surface of the shoulder and the rear surface of the upper one of the flanges of the shank, the flange of the yoke which underlies said upper flange of the shank extending forwardly at least as far as said top flange of the yoke, said rearwardly extending flange of the top portion of the frame being of such shape as to provide clearance for said shoulder when the shank carrier iron and the connecting means are removed and the shank is moved forwardly and tipped downwardly, whereby the shank can be detached through said frame without removing the yoke.

2. In combination, a railway car having center sills, a swivel yoke positioned between said sills and having superposed forwardly projecting flanges, a carrier for the yoke connected to the sills, a striker casting arranged at one end of the sills and provided with an annular frame, a coupler shank extending through the frame and having rearwardly projecting flanges intercalated with said forwardly projecting flanges, the space between said forwardly projecting flanges being greater than the thickness of said rearwardly projecting flanges, means connecting the shank and yoke, a carrier iron detachably connected to the striker casting and normally supporting said shank in substantial alignment with the yoke, a shoulder projecting upwardly from said shank, the top portion of said frame having a rearwardly extending flange so arranged as to abut against said shoulder and prevent detachment of the shank from the yoke as long as the shank is in normal alignment with the yoke, the distance between the last mentioned flange and the front surface of the upper one of the flanges of the yoke being less than the distance between the front surface of the shoulder and the rear surface of the upper one of the flanges of the shank, the flange of the yoke which underlies said upper flange of the shank extending forwardly at least as far as said top flange of the yoke, said rearwardly extending flange of the top portion of the frame being of such shape as to provide clearance for said shoulder when the shank carrier iron and the connecting means are removed and the. shank is moved forwardly and tipped downwardly, whereby the shank can be detached through said frame without removing the yoke, said striker casting being provided with a striking portion, a downwardly spaced sill tie portion, and portions connecting said striking and sill tie portions, extending rearwardly therefrom, slotted for receiving a draft key adapted to support the front end of the yoke, and formed at their rear portion with front draft lugs.

EUGENE B. SCI-IROCK. 

